Tuesday, July 15

A Favorite Artist-Norman Baxter, A Line on Texas


Hey--a few more visitors found their way to OrbisPlanis yesterday, so I will press on! 


One of my favorite artists is Norman Baxter. He was a professional artist and famous for his line drawings and watercolors, but I liked his line drawings the best. I don't know if he's still living. I Googled his name but couldn't find out. He was known for illustrating the covers of the Yellow Pages phone directories (in certain parts of the US) beginning in the early 1980s (after Karl Hoefle). The covers were intricately detailed line drawings, usually of city skylines, that included a few almost hidden whimsical items that were fun to search for. It was kind of like the recent Where's Waldo illustrations. So I was inspired by Norman Baxter during my roller-ball phase. I have two original signed drawings of his as well as a framed print, and an autographed copy of A Line on Texas, a book with a collection of his drawings.


Line drawing is similar but different from pencil drawing. It's similar in that you use your skills of composition and perspective, but way different because any shading or surface tone is achieved by lines (only), be they parallel, cross-hatch, or whatever. It's an intriguing art form, to me anyway, so I included one of my line drawings above for your viewing pleasure.


If you like reading this blog, please leave a comment, and feel free to link this site to others who may have an interest. .


13 comments:

  1. This is awesome! You are very talented, and I am so proud of you. Your work is outstanding. I love the way you capture light.

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  2. I RAN ACROSS THIS SIGHT TRYING TO RESEARCH A PUZZLE I FOUND. IT IS A PUZZLE OF THE 1979 YELLOW PAGES DALLAS COVER. I STARTED LOOKING AT THE DRAWING ON THE PICTURE AND STARTED NOTICING THE LITTLE WHIMSICAL HIDDEN PICTURES! THEN I NOTICED THE ARTIST SIGNATURE. I GOOGLED HIS NAME AND I FOUND OUT ALL THE COOL DETAILS OF HIS ART ON PHONE BOOKS. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PUZZLE?

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  3. Tracy-I am so sorry to take so long to reply to your comment of August 10, and I hope you see my comment. I didn't go back to my July blogs to check on comments until today.

    I was blogging about Norm Baxter and found out he took over the SW Bell Yellow Pages covers after Karl Hoefle. I don't know why Karl stopped doing them.

    Anyway for years starting at least in the 1970's and maybe from the 1960's, everyone looked forward to the Yellow Pages covers every year because they included all sorts of odd little drawings of people, objexts, animals, etc. I remember on of the Houston yellow Pages covers had a space ship landing on a freeway overpass.

    But as to why he started doing the drawings with the unusual characters, I do not know, or why he stopped.

    (I'll try to post this on the latest blog -8/26-under comments in case you ever visit my blog again.

    Sorry again for the delayed answer.

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  4. Good Afternoon!!! orbisplanis.blogspot.com is one of the most outstanding resourceful websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. All the best.

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  5. Great post, I've been waiting for something like that.

    Melva

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  6. I have a sketch done in black ink of Royals and Chiefs stadiums in KC signed by Norman Baxter. Could you tell me more?? Thanks

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  7. In answer to your question about Norman Baxter's pen & ink drawing at the stadium in Kansas City,MO, unfortunately I don't have any information about that artwork. Maybe some of the other viewers have some information? Thanks for your comment--Byrne

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  8. Hello, Do you know anything about a series of prints that Norman Baxter did for Texaco? I have some prints in folders that is "Lines on Texas...and Texaco Petrochemicals". I can't find out any information on them, and your post is the only thing that keeps coming up. It isn't the book, but individual prints with info printed about the location drawn. Thanks!

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  9. Thanks for your recent (9/3/11) comment. I wish I had more information about your watercolor prints, but I don't. The book of watercolors about El Gordo was not published by Texaco. However, I do know that Fred Korge, his former business partner from Baxter&Korge, has a design firm in Houston, Savage Design, and perhaps he may have more information. Here's the URL:

    http://www.savagebrands.com/fw/main/Fred-J-Korge-2750.html

    Byrne Smith

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  10. I have three drawings of swope park in Kansas city by Norman Baxter any idea of their value?

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  11. Norman Baxter passed away in 1998. He suffered a stroke in the early 80's that paralyzed his entire right side and he was unable to draw after that.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that, but thank you for contributing this information. I still like to look through my signed copy of his book of drawings, A Line on Texas. I hope more people become of aware of his drawings and paintings.

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    2. Are any of the drawings in the book similar to the intricate whimsical phone book covers?

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